A Pharaoh's Cat
by Yangu Fuyu
Summary: Post-cannon, spoilers for the ending; The Pharaoh has returned….Just one little problem…He returned as a cat. This is going to cause some problems… More notes inside.
1. Chapter 1

A Pharaoh's Cat

Post-cannon, spoilers for the ending; The Pharaoh has returned….Just one little problem…He returned as a cat. This is going to cause some problems… More notes inside.

**STORY NOTES:**  
**WARN:** Simple Puzzle-shipping OOC AU-ish Post-cannon Spoilers bound.  
**1)** I know that saying _Mou Hitori no Boku_ in third-ish person view, is not grammatically correct, but we all know what it means, and it sounds so much better when it's said like so, to me anyways.  
**2) **I haven't watched every single episode of _Yu-Gi-Oh._  
**3)** I probably have the _Ceremonial Duel _a bit backwards, but this is because it suited the story line better the way I remembered it, and I wasn't about to go make myself cry again to see if I was right….So…Shut up and let me dream…?  
**4)** This is my first time writing in third-ish person view, I normally favour first person.  
**5)** I don't know much about Egyptology, I only know a few things from my memory of when I was taught it. Like Ra is the sun god, Anubis is the god of the underworld.  
**6) **There is significance towards Atem being a cat, his appearance (etc), even if it's not explained much through the story.  
**7)** I'm not even sure if cats are anything sacred; though I'm pretty sure they guarded the gates for the underworld is what the Egyptians believed in.  
**8)** I thought it would be funny to have Atem return as a cat, and to keep Yuugi the same height as when the series began.  
**9) **My writing style is seemingly old-fashioned, and possibly hard to understand. Because in some way shape or form some information is unknowingly left out.  
**10)** Everything that was written had no intention of upsetting/wronging anyone, it was just my memory, feelings and thoughts about how _Yu-Gi-Oh_ finished, and how everyone deserves a happy ending is some shape or form and how Yuugi couldn't possibly be happy with how the series ended, nor Atem to some extent. 

-Chapter 1-

The last thing he remembered was walking into the gates of the afterlife. So why was he suddenly looking up at a familiar place, which wasn't Egypt. Unless Egypt has changed in the past five seconds from being a desert to a park-like ecosystem…No, Atem was sure that Egypt hadn't changed, but he still had no idea where he was. Not in the afterlife, that was for certain. He wondered briefly if anyone could see him, no one, but his Hikari, ever could, unless his Hikari had changed to him. His little Hikari had won against him in the ceremonial duel, which was able to free him and let him into the afterlife, which also meant his Hikari didn't need him anymore, right? He gritted his teeth, and sat up, which caused him to see his hand…Well, it wasn't a hand. Atem blinked, he moved his hand again, the same object moved, it wasn't a hand it…resembled more of a paw…So did his other hand! Somewhere, someone had to be laughing; this was some kind of dream, a joke…? He looked to the sky, it was perfectly normal, blue with grey swirling clouds, there would be rain later, the ground below his _hands_ was the green grass, which was normal too. So why was he so different to what he normally would have looked like? Atem sighed, if he couldn't figure that out, he'd at least need to figure out where he was, so, he got up _on all fours,_ he noticed strangely as if he was an animal, and the first thing he did, or try to do, in his case, was to walk…Which, for him, made him fall flat onto his face, he let out a strange strangled noise, which did not resemble anything that sounded like either Japanese nor Egyptian. _For the love of Ra_…! Atem got up and tried again, this time he didn't fall to the grass, yet again wounding his already beaten pride.

Atem concluded he was in a park of some kind, no one was around, which made things worse, because, for this little interlude, he couldn't tell if people could see him, or if he was still a spirit. It was starting to infuriate him, where were the people? Where was anything? Maybe it was the afterlife, and someone was making him suffer for all the wronging he had done? It would be suffice, but to not know where he had been placed? Turning him into some animal? What was going on? Where was he? Atem made a frustrated noise, which came out as a growl, or something similar, which made him jump at himself. However, because he had jumped from himself, he saw the entrance to the park, a sign that would tell him where he was. He quickly bounded over to the sign. What the sign told him, made his fur, yes _fur_, stand up on end. This place was called _Domino Park._  
That was in Domino City…  
Domino City…That was the place where his Hikari lived, along with his friends.  
…Someone was really setting to punish him for all the wronging he had done.  
Why was he suddenly back here, when he went through the gates to the afterlife, in an animal form no less…?  
Why…?

Before he could notice the Shadow's change, there were people everywhere, he made the same strangled noise as he rushed to get out of oncoming feet, which was then he realized he was small. Small enough for people to walk all over him. From a safe place, on a higher up wooden poll, he hissed in his annoyance. If this really _was_ Domino City, he knew not where he was in it, and he was pretty sure the city wasn't that big.  
Suddenly there was a child loaming over him, as he tried not the shrink in less size. Was this how his Hikari felt most of the time? He would be sure, to size down if he ever saw his Hikari in human form again.  
"Hey, kitty, kitty…" The hoaxing human-child tried.  
Atem's eyes widened, _Kitty…Kitty…._?  
"_Kitty…?_" He exploded….Well, tried; it came out as a mewling noise.  
He was a cat? He sat there unmoving, horrified.  
Another human came rushing from the side.  
"Talia…! Don't touch that animal! You have no idea where it's been!" The older voice commanded the smaller.  
Atem blinked. He'd only been stuck in the Sennen Puzzle for a couple of thousand years after being a ruler of Egypt….Been a spirit for a few years more…Walked through the gates of the Afterlife therein after…Now was suddenly a cat…That was where he had been…  
The little girl pouted.  
"Mou, Kaa-san…! It's lonely." Talia responded to the scolding.  
"I'm sure, it's not, its waiting for its master, come along." The older voice told the girl, not noticing the _cat's_ head watching one from the other, Talia suddenly brightened, as if what her mother had said made sense.  
"Bye-Bye Kitty…!" The girl said and they were off, with not as much as another blink in Atem's direction.

He was waiting for something? Perhaps, yes, someone to tell him what was going on. Where he was (and why it looked like Domino City), why he was a _cat_, of all things. Yes, he was waiting, waiting for some answers. He looked to the sky again, and noticed the clouds had become something fierce, he growled at them, but his eye twitched as the sky suddenly opened up, and cold water poured down from them. Swearing his blasphemy, he bolted to find somewhere covered, leaving the strange _Domino Park_ behind.  
He butted his head against the wall, he wasn't getting anywhere. He had no idea where he was, or how far he had run to try and find cover, he was soaked through he could tell as his _fur_ weighed more now. On an up lodged stone in the path he tripped into a puddle, growling his annoyance he got back up, only to freeze at his appearance.  
He really was a cat.  
He could barely recognize himself.  
His eye colour was the same….almost. They looked more of his Hikari's colour now, with a black strip of fur from the outer side of his eyes down to his nose. His ears sagged under the weight of the water, curled in, so the water hopefully wouldn't get into them, but he guessed his colour was a yellowish brown-black colour, with what may have looked like white from the inside of his ears and under belly, though it looked more grey from the rain now. His _tail_, he noticed was low to the ground, and looked as if it wanted to curl around on one of his hind legs.  
Atem cursed again, as the rain got harder, there was nowhere for him to seek shelter. He still didn't know where he was, in this so called Domino City.

He walked around the bend and ended up hitting himself on a rubbish bin, he fell straight onto his tail, which made him yelp in pain. Maybe he could add brain damage to his depression. Grumbling again, though he only became more frustrated when it came out as cat noises, he kept on his way. Caring little for the rain now, it wasn't bad enough that he was now a cat, he happened to be a _soaking wet_ cat. He sighed as he looked at his front paws, what was his Hikari doing now? Was he still in Egypt? Was he here? Atem stopped in his tracks, what was the date? How long had he been gone? Was his little Hikari alright? His head suddenly flopped in defeat as he let out a groan; too many questions, not enough answers. He did get one question answered though, he wasn't a spirit; the little girl and her mother had seen him. He didn't have much more to think about it, as he tripped again, but this time, he stayed down, losing himself and staying unconscious.

As soon as he came back, his head filled with questions; where was he, when was he, it had stopped raining? Why was there something soft underneath him? He groaned as feelings resurfaced, he opened his eyes to see everything blurred, he looked to where he was lying; he was on layers of cupboard.  
"You do know it's not very _Cat-Like_ to wonder about in the rain?" A voice came, making Atem jump and spin to the source, though all he saw was a tail the rest of the black feline was somewhere else. Atem eyed the feline.  
"Where am I?" He asked, hoping that he spoke the same language the other cat did.  
"You're in Domino City." The feline's voice replied, with its tail still up in the air, its face still not seen.  
"Domino City…? Why am I here?" He asked, still eyeing the feline's tail. Though was suddenly alert when the other cat flipped around to face him, he would not stumble back. He only heard the other cat laugh.  
"You're new, aren't you?"  
"A question for a question…?" Atem asked, he knew it was fairly obvious of the cat's question, the cat just didn't knew just how _new_ it was for him. The other cat sighed, and sat down.  
"Yes, you're in Domino City, you're here because I dragged your sorry feline's rear here out of the rain." The cat answered Atem's questions.  
Atem blinked. "Thank you." He offered in a reply.  
The other blinked. "You're definitely new here." He chuckled. "Name's Ink..." He replied, in a way of saying his hello.  
Atem returned the gesture of name-calling.  
"You from Egypt or something…?" Ink joked. Atem didn't reply, thinking it was probably better not to. "So…" Ink said in a way of changing the subject, and Atem's ears perked up at. "Since you're new, I'll do you a favour, I'll tell you where felines don't go…if you know what I mean by _don't go_."  
Atem knew well of those two words strung together in the same warning voice.

All the places Ink listed were places Atem had never heard of before. But committed the terms to his memory, in the ever case he should wonder into them.  
"This might seem as a….weird question…But what is the date?" Atem asked, watching how Ink blinked in confusion, and then smirked.  
"What you have a curfew, or something?" He joked.  
Atem was perfectly serious. "You might say that."  
Ink blinked, and told him the date. If Ink was correct. His Hikari would be, hopefully, home.  
"Do you know where the _Kame Shop_ is?" Atem asked a little hopeful to find his Hikari.  
"_Kame Shop…_? As in the gaming shop up the road…?" Ink asked blinking, nodding up the alley way. Atem nearly tripped over himself, getting up and out the alleyway, not noticing that Ink had followed.  
"That it…?" Ink asked, and watched as Atem nodded. "Well, then, you better find your masters, they haven't been home in a few weeks…" Ink offered, and Atem looked to him.  
"They are not my masters." Atem told truthfully.  
Though Ink waved it off… "Whatever, whatever…You can keep the bed if you like; you can get your own food, right?" Ink asked curiously. Atem nodded to him, though he didn't really hear him.  
Perhaps, now, he was still meant to look over his Hikari.

There was dust everywhere, or all over what Atem could see anyway, from the tree he had climbed up in to see, He knew that Sugoroku kept the place spotless. They weren't home yet, but if they were they hadn't been home long. Atem felt tired, though he couldn't stop until he found his Hikari. He wouldn't stop, until he found him, if only for a minute to make sure his little Aibou was safe and well. Atem was content to sit on the porch and watch the distant sun roll down the sky, so absorbed he didn't notice the figure next to him.  
"Oh-ho..." A voice said, making Atem panic, while making a strangled noise as he turned to face the voice, only to come face-to-face with a familiar face.  
Atem blinked. "_Sugoroku…?_" He asked, regrettably the question came out as a high meow.  
Sugoroku laughed again. "Hungry, are we?"  
Atem blinked again, and his head went subconsciously to one side, which made his ears flop.  
"Oh, how could I refuse that face? Come on in; let's see if I can find anything."  
Atem blinked, but followed the older man inside.

Sugoroku couldn't find anything for Atem, or anything for himself for that matter, the man seemed to laugh nervously, as he looked sheepishly back to Atem, who was told to stay on the counter and not move, which he hadn't, and he didn't plan to, unless asked, that is. Sugoroku then went somewhere else, taking all the unneeded-outdated goods with him. Atem didn't move, he wasn't told to, but he involuntarily shivered when he heard a voice calling.  
"Gramps…! I'm home!" The voice announced. "Jounouchi-kun hit himself on his way home…" The voice informed the not-present Sugoroku, coming nearer to the kitchen. "Gramps…?" The voice called out again, walking into the kitchen, Atem found himself frozen stiff. He couldn't move, even if he had wanted to. Not even when Yuugi looked to him and frowned questionably. Though his Hikari must have decided on something because he came over to him...  
"Nee, have you seen my Grandpa anywhere…?" He asked of Atem, who blinked, he of course couldn't answer his Hikari's question.  
"Oh-ho…! There you are, Yuugi!" Sugoroku announced as he re-entered the kitchen, noticing both his grandson, and the very stiff cat.  
"Grandpa, why do you have a cat here?" Yuugi wondered pointing towards Atem. If Atem could have, he would have chuckled.  
Sugoroku laughed. "The little guy was hungry, but I wasn't able to find him anything or anything for us." Sugoroku told Yuugi. All the while Atem blinked _'little guy'_? He called his Hikari a variation of that!  
Yuugi then looked downcast.  
"So, are we going to starve?" He asked, while Sugoroku blinked in alarm. Something within Atem snapped, as he butted his head against Yuugi's arm, and he looked to the cat. "…Hey, I didn't mean that you're going to starve…." Yuugi tried to explain, failing fast. Atem kept his head against his arm, as he tried to hold in a whimper for him.  
"Nee…Where'd you get this cat, Gramps?" Yuugi asked blinking in surprise.  
"I found him on the porch. I don't know if he is owned by anyone…"  
"Does that mean we keep him, if he isn't owned by anyone?" Yuugi asked another question.  
Sugoroku moved to the fridge to open it, to see if there was anything he had overlooked. "I was thinking about it. Though, we would need to take him to the vet, to check him out." He told Yuugi, who nodded, and looked back to Atem.  
"Hey." Yuugi addressed him, and Atem looked to him, his head going to one side again. "Can I pick you up?" He asked curiously. Atem faintly wondered if they had ever had a cat before, or knew how one acted. Because Atem was pretty sure, he wasn't acting like a normal cat. Though, to answer his question, he placed a paw on his hand, and let his Hikari lift him to his eye level, which wasn't that much higher up then the counter was.  
"You don't have a collar…" Yuugi pondered. "Did you lose someone too?" He asked of him. Atem blinked, his little Hikari….He still— Atem watched as the happy smile dropped only to be replaced by a downcast one. "I know I did…" He heard his Hikari whisper.  
If Atem could do anything; he mewled at him, causing Yuugi to laugh. "You're a funny one!"  
Hearing the laugh, Sugoroku turned to them. "Why don't we go down to the vet, now? While he is getting checked out, we can go shopping for food…" He pondered.  
"Yeah…!" Yuugi agreed excitedly, and then turned to the cat he still had hold off. "That alright with you…?" He asked, yet again Atem mewled at him, making his Hikari laugh at him once again. "Off we go, Gramps!"  
"I'm getting there, I'm getting there…." The older man grumbled, as he watched Yuugi place the cat down, and leave, Atem stayed where he was, looking to Sugoroku, who knew the look.  
"He's your master now, little guy; you take your orders from him." Sugoroku told Atem, who tried not to laugh as his head went to one side, though it did give him an excuse to not leave his Hikari's side once more, Atem then bounded off to find where his Hikari went to.

"You won't wonder off, will you? I don't have a leash…" Yuugi stated worriedly at Atem as they went to the door.  
"I'm pretty sure, the little guy won't run off on us, give him an order and he sticks to it." Sugoroku replied calming his grandson, while Atem looked to them both.  
"Huh…Okay!" Yuugi then looked to Atem, who looked back, stopping the mid-way shiver curling his fur. He looked like he was about to order an issue, but then deflated. "Mou…How do I ask a cat to stay near me, and not wonder off…?" Yuugi questioned aloud as he pouted, Atem needed no further prompting, as he got up and sat next to Yuugi's left leg, while Sugoroku laughed, and Yuugi looked astounded.  
"That's how, my boy!" Sugoroku laughed, while Yuugi blinked.  
"I guess…so?" He questioned himself.

Yuugi sat down in a chair, with Atem in his lap, waiting for his grandfather to come back from speaking to the receptionist.  
"I guess I don't know whether I get to keep you or not…." Yuugi pondered aloud, though, to him-self, Atem looked up to him and cat-voiced his concern for the boy, causing Yuugi to look down, and smile.  
"I'm pretty sure they'll say yes, you're pretty well behaved, and you don't mess around." Yuugi told Atem, whose head went to one side. Atem settled himself into Yuugi's lap, trying to act like a normal cat in front of strangers, he wondered if he was doing a good job, all the while he pondered something else; if his Hikari would ever know it was him, his heaved a sigh; the odds weren't good.  
"Though…if I do get to keep you…I need to think of a name for you…" Yuugi thought aloud again. Atem briefly wondered if it was his fault as being his yami for so long to cause him to think aloud. Yuugi looked to him thoughtfully. "I can't think of a name…!" He seemingly whined, and Atem tried to make a laughing noise, which made Yuugi laugh.  
"Yuugi…!" Sugoroku's voice came, alerting the both of them, Yuugi was wanted. He was too go see the vet alone with Atem because Sugoroku needed to sit down.

Yuugi placed Atem onto the table.  
"Behave." Yuugi whispered pleadingly to him. "Do as they want 'kay?" He asked again.  
Atem stiffened, and he sat, making Yuugi giggle slightly.  
Being a cat was weird for Atem, but for it, he was able to be close to his Hikari, though unknowingly to his Hikari though that Atem was still there. He cringed at the vet.  
"We'll have to keep him over night." He commented.  
Atem's eyes widened. Staying…here…Alone…Without Aibou…! What?  
"What? Why?" Yuugi was quick, ready to defend him, subconsciously.  
"It is very late, Mouto-san." Both Atem and Yuugi blinked at the name. "You'll know tomorrow if you can keep him." He replied.  
"Mou…Tomorrow is school…" Yuugi responded in a low voice.  
"You can stop by on your way home, we'll have the answer by then."  
"Can I say goodbye?" Yuugi asked and the vet nodded to him.  
"Bring him through here in five minutes I'll have his cage set up."  
_**CAGE**__…?_  
Not another cage!  
Though at the word, Yuugi cringed, but nodded. As soon as the vet left Yuugi picked Atem up, and seemingly hugged the feline, who did nothing but lean into the warmth his little Hikari offered to him.  
"You are a strange cat." Yuugi giggled, and Atem mewled at his defence, only making Yuugi laugh.  
However, it didn't last long. "I'll come as soon as I can, after school, okay? I don't like the idea of someone being in a cage." Yuugi told him, and Atem flinched. "You won't like it, but please behave?" Atem mewled in response to him, making the small boy smile sadly, and then walk through to the other room.

He walked slowly to the open cage the vet opened for Atem. Yuugi placed Atem in the metal cage, while Atem sat down, meaning he wasn't going to do any harm, nor run away, and tried to suppress the shiver as the vet closed the bared door down, but they both cringed at the noise it made as it locked shut. Yuugi was able to place two fingers through the bars to pat Atem's head.  
"I know what to call you…" Yuugi told him, making Atem perk up and listen, as well as the vet. "I'll call you _Tentou_, okay?" Atem nearly scoffed, typical little Hikari, he butted his fingers, and gave a quick lick. Yuugi smiled and withdrew his fingers from the caged door, but waved his goodbye to Atem.  
"Well, he's taken to you, Tentou." The vet responded while writing the characters for the name and placing them on the door. Atem blinked then settled down to sleep, if he could…

The lights went out one by one, and Atem was left alone, with nothing but two bowls, one filled with water, the other filled with….cat food…?  
Was he meant to eat it…?  
How was he meant to eat it…?  
He didn't touch the food; he drank the water though, once he had figured out _how_, much to his chagrin. Atem sighed, he was alone…again. But at, some weird interlude, he was alive, he had a body, granted it was a cat body…Perhaps, if he was able to 'live' with his Hikari, he'd be able to repay his little Aibou, even though they were separated, Atem could see his little Hikari still needed him. Though, he wasn't admitting he, himself needed Yuugi. Atem growled softly at the admittance when the thought came across, and turned his head away from the bars, and he could pretend he was still by his little Hikari's side….at least for now. He hadn't wanted to leave to leave in the first place.

Yuugi wondered the shopping lanes, he'd somehow walked away from Sugoroku, not that he had noticed; he was too deeply in thought to realize. He sniffled, and his eyes clamped shut, he wouldn't cry! Not again… He mentally changed the subject, as he opened his eyes, he wondered if Tentou was alright, being in a cold cage, Yuugi mentally shook his head, how could anyone be alright in a cold cage? He sniffled again, but then blinked, realizing that Sugoroku was nowhere near.  
"Aw man…" He pouted, and then tried to retrace his steps.  
…Only to bash into someone; who sent him flying to the floor…  
"Itai…." He groaned in pain.  
"Yuugi…?" A familiar voice called, and he looked up.  
"Anzu…!" He cheered enthusiastically while getting up to greet her.  
"What are you doing here?" Anzu asked, curiously.  
"I'm here with Grandpa! We don't have anything to eat…" Yuugi told her in a small voice.  
Anzu smiled. "We don't either…!"  
Yuugi blinked, in confusion. "We….?"  
Out of nowhere Jounouchi and Honda seemingly jumped out of nowhere, with their hello.  
"Jounouchi-kun…! Honda-kun…!" Yuugi announced happily.  
"So, Yuge…!" Jounouchi started while hugging Yuugi's head lightly, making him yelp. "What are you doing here?" He asked, while Yuugi tried to pry himself away.  
"He's here with Gramps." Anzu stated.  
"I lost him!" Yuugi yelped in a small voice, still trying to pry Jounouchi away.  
"We don't have much to do, let's go find him!" Anzu said cheerfully, covering her worry, Yuugi tried to nod. "Jounouchi, let go of Yuugi now."  
With that Jounouchi let go of Yuugi, in fear of Anzu.

All four of them went to opening of the lanes and looked down every one, until they came to one, which they saw, Sugoroku in.  
"Gramps…!" Yuugi announced pointing down the aisle, then running down it, with his friends, to come up next to Sugoroku who was in the pet section.  
"Yo, Gramps, what ya doing here…?" Honda asked seeing as Sugoroku was trying to pick something; Sugoroku looked up, and laughed sheepishly.  
"I don't know what cats eat." He told them, making them all, but Yuugi blink.  
"Why…?"  
"Nee…! Nee…!" Yuugi announced waving his arms up and down to get his friends attention. "We found a cat, and want to keep him!" Yuugi told them, making his friends blink.  
"Yuge….You alright…?" Jounouchi asked concernedly, making Yuugi blink.  
"You shouldn't take stray cats from the street, Yuugi…" Anzu told her friend.  
"Demo…" Yuugi pouted downcast. "He…." Yuugi seemed unable to finish what he was going to say. He didn't know why he wanted to keep Tentou, he just wanted to. Jounouchi laughed nervously and held Yuugi in a head lock, making him yelp in surprise.  
"It's alright, Yuge…! You took him to the vet, yeah?" Jounouchi asked.  
"We did, yeah; they have to keep him over night, to make sure he's okay to us to keep." Yuugi stated, yet again trying to pry his friend away.  
This made Sugoroku look up. "Oh, that's right; did you name him, Yuugi?" He asked, while Anzu glared at Jounouchi again, to make him let go of Yuugi. Yuugi nodded.  
"I named him Tentou…!" Yuugi announced happily, making his friends blink in surprise.  
"Does he answer to it?" Anzu asked, curious as to why Yuugi named a cat after the sun.  
"He seemed to. I told him to stay and he stayed! I've never had a cat before!" Yuugi announced happily.  
"Yuugi, cats don't just stay when they're told. That's trained dogs." Anzu told Yuugi truthfully.  
"Then why did Tentou stay?" Yuugi asked her curiously, she had no answer.

"Alright, alright, children…" Sugoroku started. "I've picked small amounts of different flavours, that way he can try him with it."  
"But you haven't got him, yet?" Honda asked, confused.  
"The odds are good we'll keep him."  
Hearing positive words, Yuugi perked up. "Yeah…! Yeah…!" He announced happily.  
"If not, I don't think I'll want to look at Yuugi, again." Sugoroku said quietly to them but not loud enough for Yuugi to hear.  
"Is he still…?" Anzu asked quietly, and Sugoroku nodded.  
"I think Tentou keeps him occupied from thinking too much about what happened…"

Yuugi walked out the shop first; he was the only one not holding anything, as any bag they had filled would tip him over.  
"Nee…! Nee…! It's dark!" Yuugi announced, and Sugoroku laughed.  
"So, Yuge, where did you find Tentou?" Jounouchi asked.  
"I didn't! Grandpa did! He said that Tentou was sitting on our porch!" Yuugi told them.  
"….That's a bit strange…isn't it?" Anzu asked, and Yuugi shrugged.  
"…Hope he's okay…" Yuugi pondered aloud.  
"He'll be fine." Honda said.  
"Sure he will!" Jounouchi encouraged. "I need to go now; I need to get back to Serenity."  
Soon it was just Yuugi and Sugoroku.  
"I'll need you to go straight to bed, Yuugi. You have school tomorrow."  
Yuugi nodded. "Yeah…! Then I'll get to see if Tentou will come home!"  
Sugoroku laughed as Yuugi ran up the stairs to his room.

Yuugi's room was as he left it; he sniffled, and quickly closed his closet door. He had quickly come into his room once he came back from Egypt, to place his stuff away; the Sennen Puzzle box was placed on his desk, innocently placed where he had put it, he quickly stopped looking at the box and quickly set out to change his clothes and sink into his bed looking to the wall to close his eyes, only to open them again to see inside his soul room, turning around to see no door which was normally there. Only then did he start to cry.

The morning sun hit over Yuugi's eyes, he groaned and went to turn over before he realized it was morning. His eyes opened quickly as he jumped out of bed to change and charge down to greet Sugoroku, though his grandfather wasn't there, at the same time he realized the time and yelped, he grasped his backpack and fumbled with its contents to run out the door.  
"I'm leaving now, Grandpa!" Yuugi shouted to Sugoroku as he rushed past him, as he was sweeping the porch.  
Yuugi ran to where his friends would be.  
Anzu saw him first. "Yuugi…!" She called, making the other two boys turn to watch Yuugi rush up to them with a smiling face.  
"Anzu….! Jounouchi-kun…! Honda-kun…!" Yuugi called as he came up to them.  
"Ready for school, Yuge…?" Jounouchi asked of his friend.  
"Yep…! Once it ends I get to go see Tentou….!" Yuugi announced happily.  
"Are we invited to come along?" Anzu asked looking to him, and watched as he nodded to her question.  
They still all wondered why Yuugi would go as far as to name a cat after the sun.

All the lights were turned on at the same time making Atem jump a mile as they blinded him, making him growl.  
"There, there, Tentou." A voice called from somewhere, as Atem's eyes adjusted. "I see you didn't touch your food." The voice carried on. He would of if he knew how to _eat_ it. Was he meant to gobble them up all at once and chew it? That sounded rude. Atem looked through the metal bars to see the same vet that was with his Hikari yesterday. He came down low to open the cage, where Atem was sitting, he grasped Atem around his mid-stomach and walked into the other room to place Atem on the table, where Atem sat, and kept his tail close, and watched as the vet busied himself with paper, only to look back to Atem every now and then. What was going on? What was he doing?  
"You're very docile, aren't you?" The vet asked Atem, whose head went to the side, the vet continued with his papers.

Why so many test-things? Atem was tired, the vet was now sitting, though, and Atem refused the sleep until he knew whether or not his Hikari was around, but then he wouldn't sleep anyways. The papers stopped ruffling. And the vet stood up, making Atem have his full attention on where he was going, he settled the papers aside, and walked to the table again.  
"The only thing wrong with you is that you won't eat…" The vet announced.  
Atem's eyes drew wide. This would be a problem for his Hikari to keep him…? Atem blinked as he watched the vet walk around the room and reach out for a jar, which he opened and placed a few objects into his hand, he then placed the jar back and came back over to Atem, and placed his palm open towards Atem, who started at the objects in his hand. They were biscuits, he guessed. Was he meant to eat them? How was he meant to eat them? Take them from his hand?  
The vet took lead and held one biscuit to his mouth, Atem got the hint eventually.  
The biscuits tasted awful, they tasted like some sort of fish, and something else Atem didn't know. Though it seemed to please the vet that he ate the _disgusting_ biscuits, and went back to the papers, Atem wanted something to drink. When would his Hikari get there? His eyes wondered over to the clock. It was midday. Atem mentally sighed; his little Hikari would still be in school. _Disgusting school_…Atem watched as the vet came over to him and picked him up.  
"Sorry, little guy, you need to go back in you cage for a bit." The vet announced, and Atem shivered. The vet placed him gently down on in the cage, there was fresh water, at least. He could drink that.

Atem couldn't see the time from his cage; it was starting to worry him. When would his Hikari get here? He turned his head away from the bars again, the vet wasn't in the room, and no one else was either. He was alone so often now, he wondered if he was meant to be alone all his life…


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

"Yay…! School's finished…School's finished…!" Yuugi rambled as he walked to his shoe-locker.  
"Calm down, Yuge, you're freaking people out." Jounouchi chuckled even though Yuugi heard he kept on rushing to get to his shoes on and get out the front gate.  
"Hey…! Wait for us!" Anzu's voice called, making Jounouchi and Yuugi turn to see her and Honda running down the hall.  
As soon as they had their shoes on, and their bags, they rushed in the direction of the vet. They saw it coming into view, and they slowed down.  
"Could you guys wait here?" Yuugi asked as they walked to the doors.  
"Why?" Anzu asked.  
"If I get to take Tentou, I want to tell him about you first." Yuugi replied smiling.  
"Makes sense..." Jounouchi said with a nod.  
And Yuugi left to enter the building.  
"He'll be alright, right?" Anzu asked worriedly.  
"Sure…! He's been though a lot harder things then just picking up a cat, Anzu."  
"Don't start on that!" Anzu chided him in annoyance.

Yuugi walked up to the receptionist desk.  
"Um…hi…" He tried peering up at the desk, and the receptionist blinked down at the small boy, not recognizing fully who she was staring down at.  
"You're Mouto Yuugi, nee?" She asked, and watched as Yuugi nodded.  
"Come to see Tentou?" She asked another question, and getting a nod, to which she smiled, making Yuugi blink.  
"There you are, Mouto-san." A familiar voice called from Yuugi's right.  
"Vet-san…!" Yuugi called, and walked over to him, while the vet was chuckled at the name. At the moment the little boy was just that, that and there to hear the verdict of his new cat.

Atem's ears perked up at voices he could hear.  
"He doesn't seem to eat too well…" He heard the voice of the vet say.  
"What happened? Is he okay? He can eat, though, right?" Another voice rushed to say, it sounded suspiciously like his little Hikari when he was worried, he almost tripped over himself when he had to think about it. Of course it was him…!  
"Yea, Mouto-san, he _can_ eat, with a little hoaxing. Apart from eating he is all fine." The vet came through the room with Yuugi.  
"Tentou…!" His little Hikari voiced happily, he mewled his reply, making him giggle. "Not eating, huh?" He sounded worried, making Atem paw at the cage-door in an apology. It wasn't as if Atem wouldn't eat, he just didn't know _how_. Yuugi looked to the vet, who came up and opened the door, Atem didn't need to be told twice, and rushed to greet Yuugi, making his Hikari giggle.  
"Hello to you to." He said while giggling, and he picked him up, and walked with him to place him on the table, while the vet followed.  
"I'll tell you now…" The vet started, making Yuugi look to him, and Atem stiffen…Verdict time. "You can keep him…!"  
"Yay…!" The little boy announced giving the said cat another hug, making Atem nearly choke and the vet laugh. Yuugi watched as vet went over to the counter to pick and an envelope, walk back to him and give it to him. "That's Tentou's records, also saying he belongs to you. Your grandfather gave the information beforehand." He told Yuugi, who nodded, and placed Atem back on the table. "Have you had a cat before Mouto-san?" To Yuugi shaking his head, he continued. "Cats need collars with a name tag and contact details, in case he gets lost."  
"Oh…!" Yuugi started. "I know that part…I haven't got him a collar though…."  
The vet smiled and motioned for Yuugi to follow, who stored the envelope into his school bag, and looked to Atem.  
"Come on, Tentou…" Yuugi said, with that Atem jumped off the table to walk by Yuugi, as they left to follow the vet.

The vet led them to a store type place, and let them in; they followed him to a counter, which had collars there.  
"Cool…!" Yuugi stated.  
"You'll be okay now." Started the vet, "The people here will let you choose a collar and engrave the name for Tentou, here." With that Yuugi nodded to him, and the vet left.  
Yuugi looked to Atem, who was sitting on the floor, looking up to him.  
"Do you think you can jump up here?" Yuugi asked, he found out shortly when Atem tried and proceeded to sit on the counter, with a smug look, which made Yuugi laugh. "Okay, point proven." He told Atem, and then his attention went back to the stand with the cat collars.  
"Hey, look…" Yuugi pondered aloud while taking one off. "It looks like the buckle neck collar I wear!" Yuugi showed Atem, who's head went subconsciously to the side. It did look like the one Yuugi wore, he pawed at it.  
"Okay, okay." Yuugi laughed. "Let's see if it fits."  
Atem sat still as Yuugi came down close to see if it fitted or not. It stayed on.  
"It fits…!" Yuugi announced. "It doesn't hurt does it…? I think it's meant to have a bell…" Yuugi pondered.  
"I don't think your cat will need a bell…" A voice came, and both cat and human looked to it, it was a female, and she walked over to them. "Looks good…" She commented, though she lifted Atem's head to see, which made him want to growl at her, he didn't want her touching him.  
"Why won't he need a bell?" Yuugi asked, curiously.  
"Birds will see him first." The woman stated. Atem didn't know whether that was an insult or not, and frowned at her, making Yuugi giggle. "So…" She started while walking back around the counter, as if to serve him. "What colour do you want his tag then?" She asked, and Yuugi thought for a minute.  
"I know! Yellow…!" Yuugi stated; Atem wanted to laugh, purple on yellow, very funnily ironic.  
"Alright, then…." She picked up a few designs and laid them down; there were all shapes, circles to triangles to rectangles. Yuugi looked to Atem.  
"Which one do you want, you'll be wearing it." Yuugi asked Atem, who of course pawed at the triangle one, the way it would be placed on his collar reminded him of the Sennen Puzzle. Yuugi saw the action.  
"Triangle one, please….!" Yuugi announced picking it up and giving it to her, who smiled.  
"Write down your feline's name, your contact number and address." She told him, giving him a piece of paper, and he did so. "Okay, I'll be back in a minute…"  
She was back in a second without the tag. "I gave it to the engraver, don't worry." She insisted seeing Yuugi's look. "But now we need to discuss cat stuff." At this Yuugi blinked, and Atem blanched. _Cat-stuff…? _  
"Is he going to be an indoors or outdoors cat?" She asked.  
Yuugi blinked. "Um…both…?" He stated confused, making the female laugh.  
"Both it is. Though, I'm guessing he'll only go outside for business, then come back inside." The woman stated; Atem wanted her to shut up. The woman looked to Atem.  
"So you're named Tentou, huh?" Then looked to Yuugi, "after the sun…?" She queried. To this Yuugi laughed sheepishly.  
"He-he, yeah…" Yuugi said awkwardly, and she didn't ask why, Atem wished she did.  
Before she could ask any more, the engraver came in with the tag, and she took it off him.  
"There you go…" She started as well with telling him the price for them both, which of course Yuugi paid for, he as well, fastened the tag to Atem's collar, and thanked the lady, and walked out.

Yuugi looked Atem, who was walking next to him.  
"Nee...Tentou…?" Yuugi started, which made Atem look to him curiously, as Yuugi stopped.  
"I have some friends with me, okay? Please be nice to them." Yuugi asked quietly, making Atem blink, and then stretched up on Yuugi's left with his front paws.  
"Huh? You want up?" Yuugi asked, he took it as a yes, because Yuugi reached down and placed Atem in his arms. "Tell me if that gets uncomfortable, okay?" Yuugi stated as he started to walk again. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him; Atem would stay in hurt just to stay near his Hikari.  
Yuugi walked out the vet only nearly half an hour after he walked in, he hoped his friends would still be around.  
"Yuugi…!" His name was called from his left; he and Atem looked to see Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda coming over to greet Yuugi.  
"Sorry, guys, I didn't know I'd be that long…" Yuugi apologized.  
"It's cool. So this is Tentou…?" Jounouchi asked, and Yuugi nodded, and placed the cat on the floor, and sat where he was placed, staying where he was, making the group of friends crouch around him. Atem knew these people, but they of course didn't recognize him, like Yuugi hadn't, either.  
"Domesticated takes a new term with him." Anzu said referring to Atem stayed where he was placed. Atem didn't bother to growl at her.  
"The vet told me he has trouble eating…" Yuugi told them.  
"Does that mean you need to hand feed him?" Anzu asked.  
"Until he gets used to it, I guess…" Yuugi offered.  
"Well, in any case, he's a nice cat." Jounouchi stated.  
"Thanks, Jounouchi-kun. But I'd better get home, I'll need him to get used to the place." Yuugi told them, then picked Atem back up, and waved goodbye to them then left. Atem already knew the place like the back of his hand….paw…He sighed. Atem would need to get used to that.

"Gramps…!" Yuugi called as he opened the door to his home and family shop, and walked in, and Sugoroku came around the corner.  
"There you are, and Tentou too…!" He stated seeing the cat in Yuugi's arms, who nodded, then placed the cat on the floor Atem stayed where he was placed.  
"The vet told me I need to help him eat." Yuugi told Sugoroku, who nodded.  
"Well, it is time for us to eat for the moment. I'll set a bowl of water down for Tentou." Sugoroku told, and then disappeared back around the bend.  
Yuugi looked down to Atem, who looked back to him.  
"Come on, I'll help you eat later." Yuugi told him, and Atem followed him through the house.  
Atem was shown his water, and he sat by it lapping at it every now and then, while watching his Hikari and Sugoroku eat and talk.  
"Nee..! I have homework…." Yuugi pouted, dropping his chopsticks in his distaste for homework, which made Atem look to him in alarm, when he heard the words and the chopsticks _clang_ sound out as they hit the side of his bowl.  
"…Really…? What on….?" Sugoroku asked as Yuugi picked up his chopsticks and wove it around the rice.  
"….Egypt…"  
The word made both Sugoroku and Atem freeze. Yuugi looked to Sugoroku. "Nee! I should be able to do it!" He told in a fake-happy voice. "I was there!"  
"…Yuugi…" Sugoroku said sullenly to the now broken teen. Yuugi placed his chopsticks down.  
"I'm going to go try and do and it, okay?" Yuugi asked, and Sugoroku just nodded, and Yuugi laughed. "Come on Tentou, I got to feed you...!" Yuugi walked out the kitchen, only to return to it, confusing Atem in the process, when he looked back to his Hikari, he wasn't next to him.  
"Where did you place the cat food?" Yuugi asked as Sugoroku had stood up to collect the plates.  
"I placed them on your bed." He replied.  
Yuugi laughed. "Okay!" With that he rushed to grasp his bag by the door and up the stairs, with Atem very close behind him.

Yuugi closed the door behind him, making sure Atem was in the room as well.  
"Well, jump on my desk, or my bed, whichever." Yuugi told Atem.  
Atem decided to jump on the bed, making sure he didn't land of the food, then the desk, seeing something more interesting, which was the Sennen Puzzle box, he looked back to Yuugi who had the bag upside down and his books came pouring out, then placed his bag down on the floor, and he placed the envelope in the top draw, and looked to Atem.  
"You hungry, Tentou…?" He asked Atem who was still sitting on the desk then looked at him. "I'm guessing you are. You need to choose which one you want." Yuugi started and told Atem then types he could try. Atem chose the one that sounded more food-like, with that Yuugi took the bag and sat down at the desk. "You'll need to tell me when you're finished, but you're going to have to try and eat some." Yuugi warned. Atem knew this, and watched Yuugi open the bag and take out a hand full and placed it on the desk, while he purposely dropped the bag by his feet. He then got hold of one and placed it near Atem, who gave the face of someone who thought Yuugi was an idiot, but ate it all the same, and Yuugi laughed.

"Come on, try without me helping…" Yuugi tried to hoax Atem into eating from the desk. Atem tried, and Yuugi clapped, but Atem choked, which made Yuugi panic.  
"Ah! Stay there, I'll get you some water." With that Yuugi dashed from the room, leaving the door open, only for a second later for him to come running back in, with a bottle of water and a dish, which he placed near the still gasping Atem and filled it with water, and nearly made Atem drown in his worry to get him to drink.  
"You worried me, Tentou…" Yuugi muttered to Atem, who was still panting, but looked to his Hikari all the same as Yuugi stroked the back of his fur to try and help. "Are you okay now?" Yuugi asked Atem, who sat up in response, and nudged Yuugi's hand. "I think you've had enough food, yeah?" Atem nudged his hand again, and Yuugi sighed in worry, and placed the rest of the biscuits back in the bag and closed it, then hopped off his chair and gathered the rest of the other bags, and placed them near his own bag, then he came to sit back down with a book with read, what he guessed said _Egypt_. Why was his little Hikari doing with a book on Egypt for homework?  
"We have an assignment on an ancient civilization. I got Egypt." Yuugi told Atem, as if he knew the cat was confused. "…What dynasty do I need to include….?" Yuugi mumbled, with a frown on his face, rummaging through his papers, while Atem stood frozen still. "Oh…I got to be general…." Yuugi looked up to Atem, who blinked. "No dynasties then!" He said happily. Atem blinked again as he watched his Hikari write down information, until he stopped, looking a little stumped, and he blinked.  
"Language…?" He then laughed, and spoke, somehow fluently in the language, which made Atem backtrack, with eyes wide. How had he spoken the language…? He never had before! Why had he now? Yuugi laughed at the cat-like horrified expression on Atem's face, and reached out to stroke down his nose. "That must have scared you, me speaking in a different language, don't worry, I won't do it again, that's the only sentence I know…!" Atem still blinked even when Yuugi went back to his writing.

"There…!" Yuugi announced to his bedroom, as he placed his pencil down, and Atem perked up, from his curled-up spot near his water, which was near the Sennen Puzzle box. Apparently Yuugi had finished. "…I think I wrote a bit much…" Yuugi stated, pointing to his five-paged-assignment on Egypt, and laughed nervously. "Oh well…!" Atem watched as he stored his homework away in his bag, but looked to the door when Sugoroku came in.  
"Yuugi, you can use the shower room now." Sugoroku told him.  
"Ah…? That time already?" Yuugi asked blinking in surprise. Sugoroku nodded and left the room.

Yuugi looked to Atem. "Guess it's that time already." Yuugi stated, while Atem blinked. "Alright, Tentou, you stay here, alright? I'll be back in a little bit." Atem put his head back down in knowledge and Yuugi laughed at him, while gathering his needed things, and left.  
It didn't take look for Yuugi to return, with a yawn on his face, as he shut the door. Atem sat up to greet him with a meow. It made Yuugi smile sleepily; Atem remembered whatever shower room was had always made his little Hikari sleepy. Atem watched his Hikari sleepily shuffle over to his bed and crawl into it, and under the covers.  
"You can go to sleep now, Tentou…" Yuugi's sleepy voice came, as he turned to look at the cat on his desk. "I'll keep the window open for you…" He rambled on in a mumble, watching as the cat jumped to the chair and sat there; reminding him of something else, and he sniffled. Atem blinked as he watched his Hikari's eyes close and drift off, but became more worried when his little Hikari started to cry in his sleep, because there were no more built-up walls to keep in the tears he had. He started shifting in his sleep, almost in a nightmare; still the tears ran, unconsciously.  
"Yami…"  
Atem blinked at hearing his little Hikari's cry. That was one unofficial name his Hikari had for him. He jumped from the chair to head-but his arm gently and slid under it, and kept to his side, keeping his eyes on his little Hikari's face. How did he ever think that his little Aibou would be fine with losing him, a friend and his yami? The tears stopped, which Atem was glad about. He didn't want his little Hikari crying over him. Soon, even Atem drifted off to sleep.

"I'm glad I'm not allergic to cats!" Atem heard his little Hikari giggle, as Atem opened his eyes to see Yuugi looking down to him. "…Because I just slept with one!" Yuugi stated. This statement however, sounded wrong to Atem, who tried to get lose, but to no avail as Yuugi laughed as he rolled onto his back held him up at arm's length, keeping Atem in shock. "Hello to you to, Tentou…!" Yuugi announced happily watching Atem's shocked face, and giggled at him, but then Yuugi sobered up. "Aw, I have school today…" He whined as he sat up and released Atem, who sat looking at him, curiously. However, Yuugi just laughed and got out of bed and started to get ready for the day.

"'Kay, Tentou…" Yuugi started looking from packing his bag on the kitchen table to look at Atem, whose head went to the side as he addressed him. "I got to go to school today. So stay around the house, okay?" Atem laid down indicating he wasn't going to move, Yuugi chuckled and patted his head, and then left the house, with a farewell to him and Sugoroku. However, this was one thing Atem couldn't keep; he couldn't make sure his little Hikari was safe outside when he wasn't near. He looked to Sugoroku, and cursed, he'd have to somehow get around him, if he was going to leave….  
For half the day Sugoroku kept Atem near, for this Atem cursed, although he didn't when Sugoroku placed him in Yuugi's room, and didn't shut the window, as soon as Sugoroku has closed the bedroom door, Atem was out the house and bounding down the street towards his Hikari's school.

Atem had never been one to sneak around, but he reckoned he was doing a good job of it. By far, no one had noticed the ex-pharaoh-now-turned-cat stalk the grass near the school grounds carefully, not making a sound. All he needed now was a way of telling the time, he couldn't see the sun, as the trees above him, blurred its view. Atem wouldn't get near enough so his little Hikari could see him, he'd only get close enough so he could see, and make sure nothing went wrong…. Around his little Hikari something was always bound to go wrong, it always did. Atem sighed, and lay low in the grass, he was thankful he didn't have a bell; it would have been that much harder to do with a _ding-ding_ noise ringing every time he stepped. Atem yelped when he heard a bell-like loud noise come from the school, not realizing it symbolized the day ending, he only did when he saw the children pore out. He stood up a little higher in the grass to make out which one was his Hikari. However, Atem suddenly spotted him, waving goodbye to his friends, and then run happily down the street, Atem frowned and followed in the Shadow's the buildings left behind.  
Atem watched closely as Yuugi walked down an alley way back to _Kame_ _Shop_, though the other way out were three men blocking the way as they walked, and they stopped when they saw Yuugi, and they seemed to sneer at him, though Yuugi slowed down, he held his ground, though Atem wondered briefly how long it would hold up.  
"Ano…" Yuugi started weakly, looking up to the men. "…Can I pass, please…? I would like to get home…" Yuugi asked in a small voice, making Atem quickly want to hit something. The man in the middle laughed.  
"The little guy wants to pass…!" He said, making Atem narrow his eyes at him, it wasn't friendly the way he said the term and was angry that anyone could use a variation of that term, besides him, to address his little Hikari.  
"What if we said _no_, little guy?" Another asked, steeping closer to Yuugi, who tried not to back down, but couldn't offer anything to say when the leader struck out and pushed Yuugi to the floor who yelped out as so. From that, Atem saw red, as he dashed from the Shadow's and brought his claws out for the man as he jumped to his height, and sent the man to his side, in shock.  
"Tentou…!" His little Hikari announced in his surprise, bringing a slight smile to Atem's face as his paws found the floor, and quickly looked to him, only to see him getting up slowly, and bring one arm to hold the other, Atem knew this little quirk of his Hikari; he was hurt and frightened. Atem brought his attention to the other three men who was gaping at him. Atem hissed at them angrily making the fur on his back stand up in, he would take the defensive if it meant these men would leave his Hikari alone.  
"What the hell is up with your cat…?" One exploded from the side, once he saw the blood from where Atem's claws had dug into their leaders face, making Atem growl, but blinked when his Hikari spoke.  
"Leave my cat alone! You provoked him!" Yuugi exploded angrily at him. "Are you going to leave, or am I going to let Tentou give you another scar?" Yuugi asked in another burst of confidence, making Atem blink once. The three men blinked and them seemed to bolt down the alley way.

"Tentou…" His Hikari voiced, making Atem turn around, and sized down, he had been caught, when he knew he was told to stay, but to his surprise his little Hikari picked him up and hugged him. "Thank you, Tentou…!" His Hikari gasped out, still hugging him, in response Atem give him a quick lick, then Yuugi placed him down.  
"Come on….!" Yuugi started. "Time to get home…!" He giggled, the little run in seemingly forgotten, and he started running, with Atem running to catch up.  
Yuugi ran to his home, and watched as Atem jumped up the tree into his room, and realized that Sugoroku might have not known Atem had left, Yuugi chuckled and let himself in.  
"Gramps…!" He called. "I'm home…! I'm going upstairs to fed Tentou…!" He called out again, to his invisible grandfather, and left for his room.  
Atem heard his Hikari calling out to Sugoroku, and grinned when he saw the door opening, and watched how his Hikari tipped his books onto his bed, and replaced the school bag for the food Atem would eat.  
"Let's try again, without you choking this time…" Yuugi told him, a little worried. Atem stayed on the desk next to the water dish, and the Sennen Puzzle box, and watched as Yuugi fished out a few biscuits and held out one for him.

"You're hungry, huh?" Yuugi stated seeing that Atem had eaten more than he had yesterday. "I guess that's my fault for not feeding you in this morning." That wasn't why Atem was hungry, but he had no way of telling his Hikari that. "You need to remind me in the mornings okay?" Yuugi asked, and Atem prodded his arm in acknowledgement. Though, Atem wasn't about to wake his little Hikari earlier in the mornings just so he could feed him.  
"Yuugi…!" Sugoroku's voice called, making both human and cat look to the door. "Dinner…!"  
Yuugi looked to Atem and smiled. "Come on…!" He told him, leading the way down to the kitchen.

Atem sat by his water again, watching Yuugi and Sugoroku talk about how Yuugi was at school, which Atem didn't understand.  
"Have any homework, Yuugi…?" Sugoroku asked looking to Yuugi, who sighed.  
"Yeah….Math…" Yuugi told sighing again, making Atem wince, he knew, just as much as Sugoroku knew how much Yuugi hated mathematics.  
"How many questions…?" He asked, Atem wished for a small number.  
"Only a few…" Yuugi responded. "It's what I didn't finish in class…." He told truthfully, and Sugoroku nodded. "I'm going to go do them now, okay?" With that Yuugi excused himself, and Atem followed him to his room, to jump up on his desk, and sit, waiting patiently for his little Hikari to start his homework.  
Yuugi sighed as he came over to his desk with his books he needed.  
"Mou…" He voiced in his pout. "I hate Math…!" He whined, and Atem chuckled, and settled down, with one eye trained on his Hikari's movements, which became less focused over time. Atem blinked and sat up then mewled at him, which made his Hikari jump slightly and look to him.  
"Ha-ha…Sorry, Tentou…" Yuugi said sheepishly. "I think I'm done, I need sleep."  
With that his Hikari excused himself while gathering his needed things and left the room, to only return five minutes later looking even more tired.  
"I think I have jetlag…" The boy muttered rubbing his eye, as he made his way to his bed and crawled under the covers, and watched sleepily as Atem jumped from the desk, to the chair, and watched his little Hikari as the boy blinked slowly and sniffled, making Atem's head lean to one side, then jump from the chair to place himself under one arm of his Hikari, who sighed.  
"Sleeping with me, again, tonight…?" Yuugi questioned tiredly.  
Atem voiced no reply, as he couldn't. The reason for it, being that his little Hikari was tired, and he didn't want to see him cry over his nightmares once more. Atem watched as his little Hikari dropped of to sleep.

Atem looked towards the sky, today was the end of the school week, he had been a cat for a full week, making him frustrated to no ends; he still had no way of telling his Hikari it was him, shooting a glance to the time, he then got up and bounded through the open window and down the street towards his Hikari's school, he'd be finished soon, and there was no way in the underworld was Atem going to let his Hikari walk himself home, considering what happened the first time, and ever since that time, Atem had been meeting his Hikari by the school and making sure nothing happened, he wasn't sure if he still had the power to send people to the Shadow Realm, he would daresay try it, if someone crossed the line too much, and caused hurt to his Hikari.  
"Tentou…!" His name was called, Atem looked to see Anzu running up to him, and he mewled at her. "Yuugi told me you would be here." She started, and Atem looked to her with his head going to the side. What was wrong? He mewled at her in worry. "He's fine, don't worry, he told me to say that, and that he'll be a little late, so you can still wait for him if you want to."  
Atem sighed and put his head on his front paws as Anzu left, to wait for his Hikari.

Atem waited for his little Hikari to show, no one else was around. It was a little boring, and a little unsettling for him, where was he? Though the thoughts drifted when Shadows came into view, it looked as if it was running, running fast in Atem's direction, which made Atem sit up. What was making it rush? As the Shadow came closer, Atem could tell it was his little Hikari who was rushing in his general direction. Yuugi had a smile upon his face when he saw Atem was still waiting for him. Atem worried over his little Hikari as once he came to a stand-still in front of him as he doubled over to catch his breath, how long had he been running? Why was he running? Atem blinked as Yuugi looked towards him with a smile.  
"Hello, Tentou...!" He greeted, still trying to get his breathing right, and Atem mewled in response. "Anzu told you I'd be late, right?" To try and respond Atem pawed the air and mewled at him, this made his Hikari giggle. "Come on, I'll tell you on the way home." Yuugi told him, so Atem jumped down from his perch, and started to walk by his Hikari waiting for his explanation.

"Well..." His Hikari started with a frown, making Atem look at him. "My teacher wanted to know why I wrote so much about Egypt..." He started, and Atem wondered how he was still walking when he knew his heart tried to stop. "I told her that I was there a week back, which I was; I told her it was for family reasons...I couldn't tell her the real reason because she would have flipped..." Atem was sure he had stopped breathing. "But she was surprised I went to a place only knowing one sentence in the language..." By then his Hikari had stopped so had Atem, who was looking up at Yuugi, and mewled at him, because of this Yuugi looked down to him, with a smile. "Overall she was nice, but told me that I didn't need to write five pages for it." Yuugi stated with a grin, then a shrug. "Come on, Tentou, let's go home. I need to feed you...!" His Hikari stated, with an open grin he ran without warning making Atem blink, but before long was running to catch up, with his laughing Hikari.

Atem, by now was able to feed himself, however, Yuugi let him stay by the Sennen Puzzle box with his water and biscuit bowl, only because he didn't make a mess. Otherwise, when Atem and his Hikari weren't in his room, when Yuugi was eating, Atem would be by his other water bowl, watching his Hikari and Sugoroku talk while they ate.  
Atem watched as his little Hikari bounced slightly on his bed several times, while he was on the desk watching curiously.  
"No school tomorrow, Tentou...!" Yuugi chirped happily. Atem blinked, that was always a cause for celebrating with his Hikari, and he chuckled lightly and settled his head down next to him front paws to watch his Hikari, but to only have it perk up when he heard the phone, then Sugoroku's voice.  
"Yuugi...! It's for you."  
Yuugi seemed generally surprised, indicating he wasn't expecting the call, and a laugh he was bounding out the room, with Atem following.  
"Hello...?" Yuugi answered polity to the phone as Atem jumped to the counter to watch with his head to the side. "Ishizu...!" At this Atem blinked, why was she calling? "You...need to talk to me...? Why...?" His Hikari had a frown and was blinking, making Atem confused. "...Tomorrow...? Bring anything...? Why...? I don't understand..." Atem didn't understand either. "The museum...? Um...okay...I'll meet you outside the museum tomorrow, then...I don't know how I'm going to help you when I don't under—oh...Okay..." He replied then said his goodbye and looked to Atem, who blinked in the same confusion his Hikari had. "Um...I guess we're going to the museum tomorrow, Tentou..." He told Atem with a frown, as Sugoroku came through the door.  
"You're going somewhere tomorrow...?" Sugoroku asked, and Yuugi nodded.  
"Yeah...Ishizu wants to talk with me, so I'm going to go to the museum with Tentou tomorrow, okay?" Yuugi asked, while both Sugoroku and Atem frowned. Atem only frowned because he didn't know he was somehow involved in this for some reason.  
"Are cats allowed in the museum...?" Sugoroku asked out his frowning.  
"Um...The museum is closed tomorrow, apparently, only Ishizu asked me there, and Tentou is good enough to not run off on us, you'll stay near, won't you, Tentou...?" Yuugi asked, and Atem, proving a point; edged nearer to his Hikari and stayed. "See...? I'm sure Ishizu will be alright with it."  
Sugoroku nodded wearily. "You better get some sleep, then..." He told the unknowing teen the time, whose eyes widened at the fact.  
"Nee...! Nee...! I'll be going now...!" Yuugi stated and rushed up the stairs to his room with Atem following.  
Atem took his place near his bowls and the Sennen Puzzle box, watching his Hikari gathering his things he needed for bed, and leave only to return in five minutes, but looking no less wide awake then when he had left, as he closed the door and sat on his bed.  
"Nee...Tentou..." Yuugi started looking towards Atem, who blinked and jumped to the chair to listen. "I wonder what Ishizu wants to talk with me about..." Yuugi wondered aloud, really having no idea, as much as Atem had, who mewled, and then Yuugi looked hopeful. "Oh well, I'll find something to wear tomorrow, at the moment, I need to go to sleep...! Are you sleeping next to me, again, tonight...?" Yuugi asked Atem, who at this jumped to the bed and pawed his way around his Hikari to settle between him and the wall, making Yuugi giggle. "Okay, window is open, night, Tentou."  
Atem mewled his night to his little Hikari.

Atem woke when the surface he was on started moving violently, startling him awake, in a panic to what was happening and where his Hikari was, and if he was alright. He bolted up, only to see his Hikari was the one moving the bed with his hand movements.  
"Wake up, Tentou...!" His Hikari whined, and Atem groaned, he could tell his Hikari was in one of _those_ moods. "Come on...! Come on...!" His Hikari whined again, Atem groaned; _one of those moods….!_ Atem was forced up and onto the desk near the Sennen Puzzle box, groaning his dislike for his Hikari for the moment, making Yuugi giggle. "Sorry, Tentou, if I hadn't woken you up, you would be leaving without food..." To his admittance, Atem would need food, and mewled at his Hikari, who giggled, but turned his attention back to his closet.  
"I still don't know what to wear..." He muttered, while Atem watched him from the desk half asleep. "I guess I'll just wear my school uniform...Even though Jounouchi-kun said it was weird..." His Hikari muttered. Then left to change and Atem to eat, Yuugi had found out that Atem would eat by himself more easily when no one was around.

All the while to the museum both human and cat wondered what Ishizu wanted, with his Hikari voicing it many times therein, until Atem mewled in annoyance at him, to make him stop, which he laughed at.  
"I hope we're not late, Ishizu didn't say any particular time..." Yuugi pondered aloud, nearing the museum's steps. "I wonder if she'll—hey, there she is...!" Yuugi said while pointing to the doors, and there she was, waiting patiently.  
Once his Hikari and Atem and gotten to the doors, Ishizu nodded respectfully to Yuugi and looked curiously down to Atem, who briefly wondered what he should do when her eyes lingered on him, but they quickly dispersed back to his Hikari with a non-smile.  
"You brought a cat…" She stated, making Yuugi blink.  
"Um...yeah...Is that alright...?" Yuugi asked, but watched as she nodded and admitted the two inside.  
"These last objects from Egypt won't be on view for much longer..." Ishizu stated as she walked through the halls, looking to Atem now and then with a confused frown. To this, Yuugi turned to her.  
"Oh really...?" Yuugi asked curiously, and she nodded, while Atem stopped to sit in front of the copy-tablet that held himself and his cousin, and Yuugi looked back to him. "Nee…?" He voiced in concern making his way back to Atem, as well as Ishizu who followed with a frown.  
"I wished to say goodbye once again, and here I am left with a question..." She voiced her confusion, Yuugi blinked and stood waiting for the question, while Atem looked between the two while sitting near to his Hikari, but for some reason she addressed Atem directly.  
"How are you back, my king...?" She asked unblinking.  
Though, this wasn't the case with both Yuugi and Atem.  
"...What...!" Yuugi voice burst forth in shock, only while Atem seemed to trip over his own front paws, to burst out in a pained meow. Yuugi quickly looked down to Atem, who was getting back up and staring at Ishizu in shock. To both their reactions, Ishizu looked to Yuugi, with a frown.  
"You did not know it was Atem...?" She asked, and Yuugi furiously shook his head at this, but looked down to Atem again.  
"...Atem...?" Yuugi queried.  
Atem looked up to him, giving his Hikari a helpless expression, being unable to talk back to him.  
"Ah...!" Yuugi administered in shock. "It really is him...!" He nearly yelled, making Atem flinch away. "Um...Sorry..." Atem blinked to him to make sure he knew he was forgiven.  
"Why didn't you tell me it was you...?" Yuugi huffed, making Atem blinked then paw at the wall nearest to his own picture on the tablet, with a pained meow. "Oh, yeah...you weren't able to..." Yuugi muttered making Atem meow at him, Yuugi sat down on the ground next to him, and Ishizu followed the same, making Atem blink confusedly at the both of them.  
"You can answer yes and no queries, my king...?" Ishizu asked and Atem nudged his Hikari, who got an idea.  
"I know...!" He voiced happily, and then drew out his hands. "This one for a _yes_ answers..." He indicated to his left. "And this one for a _no_...!" To this he indicated his right hand. "Okay with that?" He asked Atem, who nudged his left hand, making his Hikari giggle. Ishizu nodded.  
"How are you back, my king...?" Ishizu questioned, to this Atem laid low, not knowing the answer for himself, making his Hikari blink.  
"...I guess he doesn't know that one..." Yuugi pondered, to this Atem nudged his left hand, making his Hikari giggle.  
"Do you remember everything...?" Ishizu questioned, and Atem nudged his Hikari's left hand.  
"Do you remember what happened after walking into the Afterlife…?"  
To this question, His Hikari flinched, but Atem nudged his Hikari's right hand, indicating that he did not.

His Hikari blinked. "So…Why is Atem a cat now…?"  
Both Ishizu and Atem blinked to the question, but both humans looked to Atem, who made a shrugging movement.  
"Cats are known to be the guardians of the underworld…" Ishizu commented, making Yuugi blink and Atem want to hiss, Ishizu noticed this. "Perhaps the Gods are being nice…?" She asked herself as well as Atem, who blinked along with his Hikari.  
"And, at the last moment, decided to be funny and transform him into a cat….?" Yuugi abolished a little angrily.  
"Gods do have a sense of humour too…" Ishizu told him and he blinked.  
"Will they turn him back…?" His Hikari questioned, the answer to this, Atem wanted to know, and his ears perked up, waiting for an answer.  
"I do not know…" Ishizu answered. "This has not happened before."  
Atem huffed and rolled his eyes, causing his Hikari to laugh slightly at him.  
"Of course not…" His Hikari muttered in a huff.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: If anyone is interested in seeing my drawing on Atemu as a kitty cat, there is a link in my site page that will take you to it posed on DA. ^_^**_

-Chapter 3-

His Hikari had been starring off in the distance for some time now; it was starting to scare the ex-Pharaoh-turned-cat who probably had no chance of returning to humanoid form. Atem decided he had enough of the silent treatment his Hikari had brought upon them both, and with his front paws he jumped up on his Hikari nearest arm, to shake him and gave off a warning growl, with a blink, his Hikari turned to him.  
"Huh…?" He said absentmindedly, blinking towards Atem, then realized, with a sheepish laugh. "Ha-ha…Sorry Ten—Atem….? I don't know what to call you now….Tentou, or Atem…?"  
Atem sat back down, and his head went to the side, and his Hikari sighed. "You can't really tell me, can you…?"  
Atem blinked, and head-butted his Hikari's arm; with a painful mewl, he didn't want to be like this. Atem didn't want to see his Hikari suffer because of him…or suffer because of anything… Atem mewled at him again, still keeping his head where he had placed it.  
"Nee…Atem…?"  
Atem blinked, it seemed his Hikari was going to call him by his official name…He'd prefer _Yami_ or at the very least _Mou Hitori no Boku _from him, his actual name sounded funny when it came from his Hikari's mouth, though Atem looked up to his Hikari with another blink.  
"You said you remembered everything, nee…?" Yuugi asked Atem, who blinked, but nudged him in approval.  
"I was thinking about what Ishizu told us…" Yuugi continued absentmindedly, looking back to the setting sun from where they were sitting on the stone stairs of the museum. But looked to Atem, to finish his question; "Can you remember anything about the _Doors_ she mentioned...?" His Hikari asked.

To the truth, Atem had no idea what they were, he was sure he had never heard the term before, and had hoped he never did again. The words seemed bathed in the Shadows, a place neither he nor where he wanted his Hikari to roam trying to see if these _Doors_ existed, or what they were and brought with it. An old folk-tale, why had Ishizu mentioned it, even if the tale kept coming up hence forth…? Atem mewled worriedly up at his Hikari, he wanted him nowhere near this, and his curiosity elsewhere. However, Atem watched as his little Hikari stood up and stretched, then turn to him, making his head side to his side, in confusion.  
"Come on, Atem, we better get home, before Gramps worries."  
Atem mewled at him, making his Hikari laugh.

For some reason, unbeknownst why to Atem, but as soon as his Hikari came through the door to his room, he started laughing and pointing towards Atem, who blinked.  
It took his Hikari awhile to calm down and when he did he was sitting on his bed with a very worried Atem-kitty meowing up at him in worry that his Hikari had finally lost it.  
"He-he, sorry Atem, it made me laugh that you were sitting by the Sennen Puzzle Box so lightly…" His Hikari giggled out. This made Atem look to the box, then look back to his Hikari with a play-growl, then with both front paws he pushed lightly on his Hikari's chest, but surprisingly Yuugi yelped out as he fell backwards, while in instinct he grasped onto Atem at the same time; bringing him with him, making them both blink.  
"What you do _that _for?" Yuugi huffed at Atem, who blinked in response. "Aw-right that's it…!" Yuugi suddenly sat back up, Atem; vaguely knew what was going to come around and tried to bolt for it. "Not this time, Atem…!" Yuugi griped Atem, who was now cursing his form more than ever, and Yuugi stood up while holding the cat at arm's length Yuugi flipped the now-fuming-cat upside down. "Penalty Game…!" His Hikari innocently shouted in delight.

There was no way in the underworld Atem would give in, though at the same time, he would not hurt his Hikari who was laughing happily at him at the same time.  
"Yuugi….!" Sugoroku's voice called, making his Hikari blink towards the door. "Dinner…!"  
Yuugi blinked and looked back to Atem, who was still upside down. "I win…!" Yuugi brandished at the ex-pharaoh, who was still grumbling about it as his Hikari placed him rightfully up on the desk. Be anyone _but_ his Hikari and he would have tested to see if he still could send people to the Shadow Realm. Atem blinked when he heard his Hikari's laugh.  
"Come on, Atem…!" His Hikari voiced, making Atem blink, only then did he follow him down to the kitchen.

Atem took his place by his water bowl, and he watched as every now and then as his Hikari would look over to him, and try not to burst out laughing.  
"What did Ishizu want you for?" Sugoroku asked, oblivious to Yuugi's behaviour towards Atem.  
"She told me about the myth about the _Doors_…!" Yuugi said, but couldn't say anymore as Sugoroku has dropped his chopsticks, which landed with a _clang-clang_ sound on the floor, which resulted in silence.  
"…The…what…?" Sugoroku asked as if he wasn't quite sure he had heard his Hikari properly.  
"She didn't actually tell me anything about them; she just kept mentioning the myth of the _Doors_ kept coming up…." Yuugi said cautiously.  
"They are no myth…."  
This caused Atem to sit up, and his Hikari to lean inward, interested, and Sugoroku looked to Yuugi.  
"They are no myth, Yuugi, they are mystical, and nothing for you to trifle in, nor go looking for." Sugoroku warned Yuugi, who deflated, but Atem looked proud; he wasn't the only one who didn't want his Hikari getting his interest in them.  
"I wasn't going to…" His Hikari huffed.

Atem jumped to the desk, and sat by the Sennen Puzzle box as his Hikari sighed as he lay down sideways on his bed.  
"I just want to know the full story…" His Hikari voiced, Atem hearing that he was addressing him, jumped to the chair, at this his Hikari giggled, but only briefly as he went back to being serious. "…I just have a feeling that I need to know."  
Atem knew this, and he also knew that this was going to get them into trouble. He sighed and pawed around his Hikari who blinked.  
"Huh…?" He questioned lightly through sleep, and watched Atem as he settled between him and the wall. "Oh…Night, Atem…" Before his Hikari could say anymore, he fell asleep, snoring softly.  
"…_Goodnight, my Aibou_…"  
But sadly for him, it only came out as meows.

Atem looked up as he heard his Hikari whimper; as if he was in pain or scared; perhaps both, but when he looked around, he wasn't in his Hikari's bedroom…He had no idea where he was. Everything was dark, but Atem's eyes narrowed when he heard his Hikari cry out again.  
"….Aibou….?" He called out, looking around, but he couldn't place where his Hikari was, nor where his cries were coming from. He turned around, to see his Hikari's figure suddenly appear on the ground, and he rushed over to him, and pulled him upright.  
"Aibou…!" Atem called, but his Hikari didn't move. "Aibou…!" He called to him again.  
"….Mou Hitori no….Boku…?" His Hikari voiced out, Atem felt the hand that somehow found his own tighten around his, as his Hikari opened his eyes, and blinked up to Atem. "Mou Hitori no Boku…!" He said again, when he saw it was Atem, who blinked as he finally realized he was human for the time being. "It's you!" His Hikari stated, and before Atem could blink his Hikari was hugging him forcefully. "It really is you…!" He admonished again.  
Before Atem could choke from being strangled, he brought his Hikari back up, and frowned down to his Hikari. "Do you know where we are, Aibou….?" He asked, and he listened as his Hikari giggled, but then shook his head.  
"I woke up to see you…." He told, and Atem nodded, and got up, bringing his little Hikari with him, who giggled, as he was set down on his own feet, dropping a lot in height with Atem, who was looking around.  
"Maybe it's a dream…?" His Hikari wondered, but Atem looked to him.  
"Then, how am I here?" Atem could only ponder, with no answer, while his Hikari blinked. "…Though, it would be logical."

Atem narrowed his eyes, as the darkness around them, seemed to grow darker, and felt his Hikari grip his arm, in response to it, Atem unconsciously brought his other arm around his Hikari, trying to protect against what he couldn't see, he'd be damned if his Hikari was getting hurt when he had no idea where they both were.  
"Pharaoh…." Boomed a voice around them; making his Hikari cringe, only making Atem take hold of him tighter.  
"Who speaks?" Atem asked back, trying to sooth his Hikari in his arms at the same time.  
"…You seek the _Doors_…" The same voice boomed, making Atem blink. He did? Now, he could feel his own puzzlement, along with his Hikari's.  
"Why…?" Atem asked, looking around for the voice carrier.  
"…You'll be drawn….to it…"  
Atem blinked, and his Hikari made a light noise to voice that he was confused, which made Atem tighten his hold on him.  
"Who are you….?" Atem asked loudly, not liking that he was talking to the Shadow's, but no voice came to reply.

Atem looking down to his Hikari, not noticing that he had firmly grasped tightly his shirt with both hands as he trembled, he hadn't noticed how close they both were, not that either possibly minded.  
"…Aibou…?" Atem asked softly, knowing his Hikari was scared, but he looked up to Atem, with a blink. "I think we should wake up, now, yes?"  
This caused his Hikari to blink again. "We're dreaming…?" To this Atem nodded, but saw his Hikari become afraid. "Nee…! But you're still a cat there…!"  
Atem chuckled. "It'll be alright…."

"….Atem….?" He heard his Hikari call. "Nee…Atem…?" He called again, and Atem opened his eyes. "Mou…" His Hikari pouted. "You're a cat again…."  
Atem blinked. "_Aibou_…?"  
It came out as a meow, and his Hikari laughed as rays of sunlight perked through the window, making his Hikari look to it, and try to shield his eyes.  
"Nee…Atem…?" He asked looking back to Atem, who blinked. "…Please don't go looking for those _Doors_….okay…? We don't know anything about them…" His Hikari voiced his worry, making Atem blink, and nudge his Hikari. This had turned his Hikari's curiosity away from finding the near-myth.  
He wasn't going to do any of the sorts; however, if the voice was right, he wouldn't have a choice. Atem looked to his Hikari who was dozing back off, and mewled softly at him. He wouldn't forgive himself if he brought pain to his Hikari once more.

Atem blinked, he couldn't get out. His Hikari had a firm grip around his middle, a grip firm enough it might as well be classified as lightly possessive. Atem had found himself in this predicament ever since he opened his eyes once more. Atem hadn't minded at first, but now he just really needed to move, he looked towards his Hikari, making him know would be counter proactive, because then his Hikari would wake up, and Atem wanted him to sleep as much as he could when he didn't need to get up early for school. He ended up wriggling his way out, and hitting the back of his head on the wall from the force he had built up. He didn't know how he ended up in the kitchen, next to his water bowl; but he figured he must have walked down in his daze.  
"Hey, Tentou…" Sugoroku's voice called, making Atem blink, before he realized his Hikari neglected to tell Sugoroku. Maybe Atem could tell him, Sugoroku knew Egyptian hieroglyphs…right? Atem had heard him reading them. Atem's head hung in defeat; how was he to write? Sugoroku looked to him as he heard the defeated cat-sigh. "Yuugi not awake…?" He asked, and Atem drew up, and jumped to the table, to face Sugoroku directly, and meowed at him defiantly, and to prove his point further, he sat down; he didn't want his Hikari awake. If his Hikari was sleeping, that meant he needed it. Atem blinked when Sugoroku laughed.

Atem turned to hear the bell ring of the door opening, as Sugoroku rushed to greet them, Atem, who was starting to grow bored followed, and jumped onto the counter to see three familiar faces.  
"Hello, children…!" Sugoroku greeted Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu.  
"Hey, Gramps…! Hey, Tentou…" They replied greeting Atem when they saw him, he mewled his response.  
"I'm gonna go get, Yuugi!" Jounouchi stated and ran up stairs, while Atem's eye twitched, so much for his Hikari sleeping.  
It wasn't long before Jounouchi came back dragging a tired, but dressed, Yuugi out, who was still trying to get the sleep out of his eye, and to Atem, sounded like he was muttering something towards Jounouchi, who looked a little sheepish, his Hikari subconsciously found his way next to Atem, while still trying to erase the sleep from his eyes.  
Yuugi groaned. "Did you have to bounce on my bed….? Whatever did I do to you…?"  
Jounouchi laughed, while Atem snorted. His Hikari didn't seem to mind when he woke him by the same method.  
"Hey, Tentou…!" His Hikari stated, looking more awake then he did a second ago, and drew out his hand to pat Atem's head and he ignored the glare Atem gave him.  
"Nee…Is it alright for them to know…?" His Hikari asked him vaguely, but Atem nodded and nudged his hand, while his Hikari smiled and picked him up by under the shoulder blades, then turned back to his friends.  
"Nee…! Nee…! Guys, guess what…!" Yuugi asked, making them all blink, and Atem who tried not to fume.  
"What, Yuge….?" Jounouchi asked.  
"Nee…! Tentou is Atem…!" Yuugi announced happily.

A pin could have dropped in the silence as Yuugi placed Atem down by his feet.  
"Um…Yuugi…" Anzu started, but was unable to finish.  
"Nee…I know sounds weird….but it's true." Yuugi told her, and the rest of the blank faces, who looked as if they were still processing the thought.  
"….So….let me get this straight…You think Tentou here, is Atem….?" Jounouchi asked slowly, and watched as Yuugi nodded, but made a groaning sound. "I think my head just exploded." He exclaimed, making Yuugi giggle slightly. "Why does crazy stuff always happen around you, Yuge….?"  
Yuugi laughed, but shrugged.  
"But, Tentou can't speak, how did you found out…?" Sugoroku asked Yuugi, who turned to him, while Atem jumped up to the counter, and sit as he watched them, making sure his Hikari was fine with his explanation.  
"Nee…! Ishizu told me…!" Yuugi told brightly, making the three other teens blink and Atem want to hit his head on the counter below him.  
"Ishizu….?" Anzu asked, and Yuugi nodded.  
"She wanted to talk to me yesterday, and Atem came along…" Yuugi explained.

"My head hurts more." Jounouchi exclaimed tiredly, while everyone else sighed. Anzu walked over to Atem, who stood up.  
"….I can see some resemblance…His eyes for a start; they're the same colour as Yuugi's." Anzu stated. It made Atem want to run behind his Hikari, and never leave.  
"Really…? I thought their eye colour was different…?" Honda exclaimed.  
That was it. Atem sighed, with that, he banged his head against the desk below him, making everyone freak out.  
"Ah…!" Atem heard his Hikari call out.  
"Eh, that proves it, he's Atem." Jounouchi called out.  
"How does that make him Atem…?" Anzu retorted back at him.  
"Calm down. It just does." Jounouchi huffed while Anzu glared at him.  
Yuugi, who got enough of his worry, picked the deadpanned Atem up to look at him.  
"Nee…?" Atem heard his Hikari voice, he looked to him, seeing the worry; he licked his nose. "Atem…!" Yuugi giggled drawing him away.  
"Dude, did he just lick your nose?" Jounouchi asked, and Yuugi nodded.  
"He has to communicate somehow, anyone else I guess he'd growl at." Sugoroku stated, making both Atem and his Hikari blink, then laugh.  
"So what are you guys here for…?" Yuugi asked as he set Atem back down on the counter and he blinked.  
Jounouchi shrugged. "Eh, we were bored, came to say hi, and to get our heads to explode…" To that Atem growled at him, making his Hikari laugh.

Somehow, Sugoroku threw them all out, in defence he had to clean.  
"Aw…!" Atem heard his Hikari whine. "Now where do we go….?" He complained further, as he walked, and Atem looked up to him and meowed.  
"Okay, that's it." Jounouchi started stopped and pointing down to Atem, who blinked. "It's weird hearing a Pharaoh meow!" At this Atem growled at him, and he laughed sheepishly. "He-he…You're fine…"  
"Careful, Jounouchi-kun, I think he can still send people to the Shadow Realm." Atem heard his Hikari say simply as he kept on walking, and Jounouchi stared.  
"No way, really….?" Jounouchi stated fearfully, and to prove a point Atem growled again, making Jounouchi bolt for it. He then looked to his Hikari with a smug look, which made him laugh.

Atem nudged into his Hikari to get his attention, his Hikari blinked and looked to him. "What's wrong…?" Atem stopped making the rest of them do the same…  
"…Nee…?" His Hikari voiced as he watched Atem, who now was sitting and looking to the side. "Atem…?" Yuugi asked again, but Atem didn't respond.  
"What's wrong…?" Anzu came up to Yuugi and asked, who shrugged, but picked Atem up.  
"Atem…? What's wrong…?" Yuugi voiced as the rest gathered around. Atem looked to his Hikari, and blinked, he could have sworn he saw something lurking in the Shadows, but when he turned to look at it more properly, he suddenly couldn't see whatever it was anymore.

"So, Yuge…" Jounouchi started. "What did Ishizu want to talk to you about…? I'm guessing she didn't know about Atem being a cat…." He said with a frown to Yuugi.  
Yuugi was also frowning. Atem had made it clear that he wasn't leaving his Hikari, by lying in his lap as the group of friends sat, with a glare to anyone who looked as if they were going to try and move him.  
"Nee…She wanted to talk about a not-so-myth…" Yuugi started, looking to Jounouchi, his comment masking the group of friends interested, and caused Atem to silently groan.  
"What's a not-so-myth….?" Honda asked, with Jounouchi and Anzu agreeing.  
"Well, Ishizu called it a myth, when Gramps didn't, and Atem doesn't know anything about it." His Hikari told them.  
"What did Ishizu say…?" Anzu asked fearfully.  
"….She said that the Doors, it's named that, by the way, could be anything and everything…She also said that it was a mystical object that appeared to correct the wronging done…" Yuugi told.  
"…That all…?" Jounouchi stated, and Yuugi nodded.  
"I don't think she knew much about it. Gramps said it they were mystical, and something not to be messed with." He said, looking down to Atem, who had his eyes closed for the time being.  
Jounouchi huffed. "Well, I'm stumped." He complained, making them laugh.

Both Atem and his Hikari said their goodbye, which caused Atem to play-bite Jounouchi for, because he laughed. They walked home in a worry silence, one that Atem couldn't break, he looked up to his Hikari briefly, to see him with a look that told Atem that he was thinking.  
"Gramps, I'm home…!" His Hikari called out as they entered.  
That was the last thing Atem heard before everything went black.

The air was choking, almost like it was smothering him. Why? Where was he? Where was his Hikari…? He was alone…?  
"Aibou…!" He called, and his voice echoed around him, as if he was in a large chamber, all by himself.  
Was he anything anymore? Why did he hurt?  
Why was he here, and not with his Hikari? He should be with his Hikari! Why couldn't he ever be with his Hikari when he needed to be?  
….Why did it hurt so much?  
Why did it look as if the Shadow's took on shapeless forms?  
Atem growled; all he wanted was to be by his little Hikari…! Why couldn't he ever get that part right anymore?

Chaos was not a normal state of affairs at the _Kame Shop_. But ever since Atem had collapsed, Yuugi did nothing but worry. Yuugi didn't want to send the not-cat to the vet again, in fear they would have no idea what was wrong and send Atem away. Yuugi sniffled as he placed Atem's limp body on his desk near the Sennen Puzzle box, and took of his collar, maybe it was on too tight; he then laid his own head on his hands, and did nothing but watch, and stroke Atem's nose every now and then. What had happened? What was wrong…? Yuugi hid his eyes in his arms as he felt himself break down, silent tears started to fall, he didn't want to lose Mou Hitori no Boku, again; he couldn't stand losing him again. Yuugi drew his eyes back to Atem, as he sniffled, why wasn't this simple? Yuugi clenched his eyes shut, it wasn't fair! All he wanted was to stay by Mou Hitori no Boku…Why was that so hard…! Yuugi couldn't keep up anymore and he kept his eyes shut.  
_"Aibou…!"_  
Yuugi bolted up and looked wide eyed around the room; that was Atem's voice, though Atem was unconscious, as well as a cat. Where was he….? Yuugi looked back to Atem; only the slowed, hitched breathing moved him, the slow breaths that looked like they could give out at a moment's notice. Yuugi sniffled again as he reached over and picked Atem up, and laid him and Atem on his bed, Yuugi's exhaustion hit him there and he fell asleep, not caring he was still had hold of Atem.

Yuugi fumed. Why was it, that lately every time he fell asleep, he woke somewhere else, completely? It was dark, but he had been here before. Yuugi staggered and nearly fell as he realized where he was and what was going on, he looked mildly around, searching the darkness around him, scared beyond reason.  
"Mou Hitori no Boku….!" He cried out. "Are you here?" He asked the Shadow's around him, when he got no reply, he started to tremble, what if the _Doors_ had gotten to him already? Atem was wrong, so very wrong! The _Doors_ fixed what was wrong! They would send him away…!  
Yuugi whimpered as he started to run.

Atem was walking aimlessly, and he knew he probably shouldn't be, he wanted to know where he was, he wanted his Hikari. Those two simply request seemed denied as the Shadow's mocked him once more. Atem suddenly stopped to shield his eyes when a bright light suddenly pierced the darkness, he knew that type of light, and he wanted nothing more to do with it. Though, maybe he did once it took form, in front of him. Taking a form of a young-looking woman with long blonde hair which faded its colour to black down towards the tips, she was dressed simply in a white-looking material, there was a long strain of beads placed on the top of her one side of her upper-thigh, and rested on her other lower-thigh, leaving a trail of beads that maybe could have jingled if she would walk. She appeared out of nowhere and looked as if she was falling, yet, flying at the same time.  
Atem blinked, he knew this woman, even more so when she opened her crimson eyes to look at him, and smile.  
"Hello, dear one…" She addressed him.  
"…Mother…?" He questioned with a frown, which worsened when she nodded and smiled.  
"I wished to talk with you." She announced and Atem stifled a groan, which she smiled at. "Do you know why you returned to the land of the living as a cat, dear one…?"  
Atem blinked, of course he didn't, and he shook his head, but frowned again when she smiled.  
"The ceremonial due tested your ability to leave, dear one. Not your _Akhu_'s…"  
Atem blinked again. What was going on…?  
"What about my Hikari….? So then this was a test to—" Atem's eyes widened. "You wanted to test him to see if—!"

She calmed him when she held up her hand. "It was a test, dear one. But it's up to you to choose the outcome."  
Atem blinked. "…Meaning…?"  
"You have one choice, dear one, to either leave with me, or leave with your _Akhu_…" She told him, and Atem widened his eyes.  
"Aibou is here?" He burst out, and she smiled at him, and nodded.  
_"Mou Hitori no Boku…!"_ A voice familiar came from the Shadow's and Atem looked around in worry. Why was he here? How was he here?  
"Aibou…!" He called back, but got no answer, he quickly looked back to his mother, who was shaking her head in what seemed like sorrow.  
"He cannot hear you…" She told him.  
"Then why did I hear him?" He asked, but she smiled.  
"Because you wanted to…" She told him in reply, making him frown.  
"…You're the _Doors_, aren't you…?" Atem asked suddenly, and she smiled brightly at him.  
"It seemed it was predetermined that I was to become a vessel for them, yes, to help you along, perhaps..." She told him, and he blinked.  
"Make your choice, my young prince, to stay or to leave."  
" What happens if I go…?" Atem asked.  
"You return to the Afterlife." She told him, Atem didn't move, he could only imagine what would happen.  
"And if I stay…?"  
"You stay and live with your _Akhu_." She told him simply.  
Atem did not blink. "…The Afterlife can wait a little longer…He still needs me…" He told her, and she smiled brightly at him, as she walked over to him.  
"Very well…" With that she kissed his forehead, and when Atem looked again she was no longer there. Leaving Atem standing there blinking.

"Mou Hitori no Boku….!" A voice behind him called, Atem turned around and nearly got knocked to the ground by the force of his Hikari running at him, who repeated his name for Atem again.  
"Aibou…" Atem replied looking down at his Hikari, and felt his little arms tighten around him, something within Atem snapped, and he wrapped his arms around his Hikari, and he sighed as he lent his own head on his Hikari's until he moved to look up at him.  
He watched as his Hikari looked up to him, he could tell he had been crying. "Nee…! I found you…!" He cried out happily, and Atem chuckled.  
"Iie, Aibou, I found you." He told him, and his Hikari giggled.

Yuugi woke in a place different from where he fell asleep. He sighed, that was a normal state of affairs for him by now, but why was everything white? And what was the _beep-beep_ noise? He groaned as his memory slowly started to fill in the blanks, and he bolted upright. Atem was no longer a cat…right? Wait…That was in that place….Where was that place…When was that…? Huh.  
"Yuugi…! You're awake…!" Sugoroku's voice came and Yuugi looked towards him, he was sitting in a chair, why was he in hospital? Where was Atem? What was going on? What was the _beep-beep_ noise?  
Yuugi groaned, he felt like his head was going to explode.  
"What's…going on…?" Yuugi groaned out, holding his head. He was sure he wasn't plugged into anything, so what was beeping? Why was he here?  
"It's okay, you're alright…" Sugoroku told him. Yuugi wasn't worried about himself, where was Atem? Cats weren't allowed in hospitals, Yuugi looked to Sugoroku while still holding his head, if they were both here; who was with Atem...?  
"What's the beeping noise…?" To his questioned, Sugoroku nodded to the bed next to him. What Yuugi saw made him tremble, if it was in fear, or not, he didn't know.  
"Atem…!" He shouted, climbing out of own bed to the next. Looking down to the bed looked as if Yuugi had a twin or at the very least an older brother. "He's human again…!" Yuugi stated dumbly, still not fully with it, making Sugoroku chuckle.

Yuugi blinked, his mind subconsciously following the _beep-beep_ noise, and looked to Sugoroku who had come around Yuugi's bed. "What's wrong with him, he's okay, right…?" Yuugi asked looking up to Sugoroku in concern.  
"He's having trouble breathing, but they say he'll be alright in time." Sugoroku replied to the frightened teen.  
"Eh…! He doesn't have any records…! How did you get them to treat him….?" Yuugi asked worriedly.  
"That was the hard part." Sugoroku seemed to grin, while Yuugi blinked in his non-understanding, but strained to follow what Sugoroku said next. "You might want to thank Kaiba-kun…"  
This, of course, made Yuugi blink more so. "Huh, why…?"  
"He pulled some strings, all in the name of, "_but_ _once he gets up, I get to duel him"_." Sugoroku quoted, and it made Yuugi laugh.  
"That sounds like Kaiba-kun….!" Yuugi said laughing.

The two quickly looked to the doors and they were pushed open and two people came marching in, they of course were Jounouchi and Anzu.  
"Finally…!" Jounouchi sighed but then saw Yuugi. "Yuge…! You're alright…!" Then he followed the beeping noise. "And Atem's human again…Wonderful…" He finished, while blinking.  
"He's not doing so well, though…" Yuugi stated, and Jounouchi came over to him, and placed his hands on his shoulders making Yuugi look up to him. "Hey, come on, he'll pull through, it's the Pharaoh we're talking about here…!"  
"And weird enough as it is, Kaiba-kun is making sure they keep him from not going under…" Anzu stated.  
"Right…that freaks me out." Jounouchi stated.  
"Only so he can duel him." Yuugi told.  
"That makes more sense…!"  
Yuugi blinked. "Where's Honda-kun…?"  
Jounouchi grinned. "He had childcare duties."  
Yuugi found himself trying not to laugh.

Yuugi found out it was nearly a day since he closed his eyes, and Atem had collapsed. Yuugi was now scared of the nurse that came in every ten minutes, the first time she came in after Jounouchi and Anzu had, she yelled at him for being out of bed, even though he wasn't in any way harmed or ill. So Yuugi was sitting very still, as she made comparisons on the charts for Atem, but froze a little more when she looked over to him.  
"Your friend is getting better." She told him then she walked out, once she did Yuugi sighed. She had already made the mistake of calling Atem his brother and everyone bursting out laughing, while Yuugi glared at them all.  
When the nurse wasn't in the room, Yuugi wasn't in his bed, he was near to Atem, following the sounds of the beeps, they were the same, they didn't increase, nor decrease, he wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not.

Everything was white…It hurt his eyes as he opened them. Why did it have to be white….? He groaned, now his eyes hurt. Though, he had to open them again to find out where he was. Atem opened his eyes more slowly this time, and the visual information didn't help him to know where he was. Though, as suddenly as if lightning had struck him, he realized he was human, and he probably was at one of those so-called hospitals…! Atem blinked at the white ceiling, where was his Hikari?  
He tried speaking, but the words didn't want to come out.  
"…Aibou…" And even when they did, it came out as a whisper.  
"….Nee..!" A louder voice coming from his left came, and he turned to see his Hikari. "Mou Hitori no Boku…!" He sounded generally happy to see that Atem was awake.  
"….." Atem was unable to say anything, but his Hikari smiled down to him.  
"Nee…You're at a hospital, 'kay…?" Atem could do no more than nod towards his Hikari, showing he had heard him, making his Hikari giggle. "You've only been here a couple of days; you weren't doing so well…" At that moment, Atem was aware that there was pressure on his left hand; he figured that his Hikari was holding it; he returned the gesture, making his Hikari giggle slightly at it. Though, Atem suddenly blinked when his Hikari looked up, and seemed frightened.  
"…Aibou…?" He asked of him quietly again, making him look to him, he placed one index finger to his mouth, in a motion to be silent, for the moment Atem had no choice in doing, and he got up to move, making Atem move in alarm, to grasp his hand harder, making him stop. Where was his Hikari going…!  
"Nee…Mou Hitori no Boku, I need to move…." His whispered to him, Atem didn't understand why. "I'm not supposed to be out of my bed…" To this Atem blink, his Hikari was hurt?  
Atem felt his Hikari tug weakly for his hand, which meant he didn't really want to move, but Atem gave him his hand back reluctantly, only to watch him quickly move to the bed beside him. His Hikari seemed perfectly fine, as he had trouble climbing into the bed to sit there and he seemed to wait for something, making Atem blink, and set about to move to see if he could sit. He failed to try as his arms seemed to have no strength in them to lift him-self. He saw as his Hikari gave him a worried look as he saw Atem try to move, but his eyes quickly went back to the doors as they opened.

This was something his little Hikari feared… He watched as a firm-looking woman came in, a nurse, Atem predicted, what was there to fear of this woman?  
"So, you're awake, are you…?" Her firm loud voice, made both of them flinch, she seemed to huff, and place the files down. "Stay there, do not move…" She then looked over to Yuugi. "Neither do you." With that Atem watched has his Hikari nodded and stayed, as she walked out. Atem now understood what there was to fear.

They ran tests to try and find out why Atem had fainted. Atem feigning he didn't know; he saying why would get him nowhere fast, and found he was clueless to what the words _drugs_ and _alcohol_ meant to him, but his Hikari found it funny. Atem sat up leaning back against the pillows, and looked to his Hikari, who was sitting on his bed, nothing ever happened to him.  
"…Aibou…?" He asked his voice clear, this time round, making his Hikari look to him with a frown. "Why are you here….? Are you hurt…?" He asked of his Hikari in his worry for him.  
"Nee…I lost consciousness too, I woke up before you though, but they're making sure I don't lose consciousness again, they're monitoring me by eye sight, seeing as nothing biologically was wrong."  
Atem understood little of what his Hikari babbled about. Atem watched as his Hikari looked to the clock, and fumbled about with his bed clothing and got down from his bed and walked around it to Atem.  
"How about you…" He started. "Are you okay…?" He asked as his hand found Atem's again. Something within Atem snapped once more, and brought his Hikari to himself and hugged him, grateful that he could finally hold his little Hikari in the real world.  
"Mou Hitori no Boku…?" He heard his Hikari question, but didn't object to the hug as Atem felt his small arms go around his back.  
"Gomen ne, Aibou..." Atem sounded to him, weakly.  
"What for…?" His Hikari sounded confused.  
"…For leaving…" He voiced.  
"Oh…" There was silence for a second or so. "You're not going to leave again, though, are you…?" His Hikari sounded worried, and Atem brought himself to look at him, and saw the tears gathering at the thought of Atem leaving again.  
"I don't plan to."  
Atem watched as his Hikari's face lit up and he was forcibly hugged by his happy Hikari once again, making Atem laugh.  
"Arigatou, Atem…!" His Hikari voiced happily to his shoulder where his head was buried, making Atem chuckle. Now, he knew he had made the right choice. The Afterlife could definitely wait a few more years, if that is what it took to keep his little Hikari happy.

_-Fin_

_You are my sunshine...  
My only sunshine...  
My make me happy,  
When skies are grey...  
You'll never know, dear;  
how much I love you...  
...Please don't take my Sunshine Away...  
...Please...don't take my Sunshine Away.  
_


End file.
